tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567813748978904720.post4027533939667806506..comments2024-03-23T18:13:37.036-03:00Comments on Canadian-Traveler: The Day AfterPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01197108331214049357noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567813748978904720.post-54032692334945627932015-05-08T11:41:19.355-03:002015-05-08T11:41:19.355-03:00I am not the CBC, but I do watch the news and make...I am not the CBC, but I do watch the news and make up my mind, as I am sure you do as well. And it IS interesting that my general opinion about the relationship between the Alberta government and Big Oil currently coincides to be the same with many, many Albertans. Your own statement confirms it: The oil industry has been and will always be dishonest wherever “a profit can be made”. I do not mind anyone or any industry make money. It’s necessary and part of our system and I have not the slightest problem with that. But when it comes to natural resources belonging to the people of a country or province it should also be clear that the owners should get paid appropriately. <br />Royalties paid to the people are meant to be the payment for exploiting natural resources. Alberta’s PC government has been a bit too welcoming to the oil industry and has even been put under hard pressure when the Ed Stelmach government put royalties under review. Putting on “Pressure” in this case means blackmailing by threatening to withdraw from Alberta (which was a totally empty bluff) The PC government gave in to these threats and among others this has been haunting them now under the recent election. Besides, it is extremely unhealthy for any democracy to have a 44 year long lasting dynasty of the ruling party. We already learned that in school in the sixties. J<br />I have lived 25 years in Norway where the government early on laid down the rules for how the oil industry has to behave and how much they have to pay. Interestingly they still made enough money to prosper despite the fact that their off-shore oil exploration is a lot more expensive than what is the case in Alberta. So I should think BIG OIL will not be suffering too hard in Alberta – even under an NDP-government.<br />Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01197108331214049357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567813748978904720.post-4754782539289493212015-05-07T20:34:58.387-03:002015-05-07T20:34:58.387-03:00Interesting how your own perspective can colour yo...Interesting how your own perspective can colour your opinion of the reporting you hear. <br /><br />Now don't go mistaking me for an NDP fan my vote went much farther right than that but down here in Southern Alberta all the reports I have heard from oil executives and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers have been of a more wait and see attitude. After 40 years of working in the oil industry the one thing I am certain of is folks in that industry have been able to work with governments of all ilk, from the extreme left, which Alberta's NDP is not one of, to the far right. <br /><br />It all comes down to business, if there is a profit to be made all sorts of arrangements can and will be facilitated. JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09016073653349776611noreply@blogger.com